Steam Punk AR15

The guys over at Fire Mountain Outdoors have put together a Steam Punk themed AR15! The idea was for a gift to the wife of one of the owners, she is apparently a big time welder and thus would appreciate the steam punk themed rifle. It certainly is an interesting project build, with such features as a watch on the buttstock, a copper pole for the handguard, with copper rods wrapped around it, to various other smaller fixtures such as a sort of gears inside the now ventilated lower receiver. Their commentary in the video is absolutely great, with “On the left I’ve included a green laser, why? Because it’s Steam Punk!”. The gears inside the lower receiver are from a fellow in Russia that sells parts of clocks. The grip panels are actually 1911 grip panels, to add some wood to go along with a Steam Punk feel. The buttstock has both a compass and a watch on either side of it, with a clear material that allows you to see the mini gears working inside the watch from the other side of the stock. The maker choose a Centerpoint scope from Walmart that wouldn’t have been a good fit for any of his other firearms as well.

The rifle isn’t for sale or anything, but it is pretty neat to watch, especially seeing the internals working through the cuts in the receiver.

Former Infantry Marine, and currently studying at Indiana University. I’ve written for Small Arms Review and Small Arms Defense Journal, and have had a teenie tiny photo that appeared in GQ. Specifically, I’m very interested in small arms history, development, and Military/LE usage within the Middle East, and Central Asia.

If you want to reach out, let me know about an error I’ve made, something I can add to the post, or just talk guns and how much Grunts love naps, hit me up at miles@tfb.tv

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thedonn007

Well, that sure is “creative”.

Nicks87

Very nice, I liked the overall look and the theme but I thought the flashlight could’ve been done up more like the rest of the gun. It looked too “modern”.

Edeco

Yeah, seems like a missed opportunity; could have gotten a vintage housing and mounted modern stuff inside. Maybe work in greasy cloth insulated wire.

Swarf

Lantern hook.

datimes

How’s this?

Swarf

Tactical as the dickens, good sir.

politicsbyothermeans

My sides!

Dr. Longfellow Buchenrad

Just put a red dot in it

Calimero

It does indeed look like Trijicon’s MRO!

Edeco

Yeah, I’d be thinking more like a tin Ever-ready type flashlight. Would need treatment to look Victorian, not 50’s, but fundamentally low-hanging-fruit for this kind of thing. I would think.

Trey

Steam Punk, been there done that, over all its fun but WAY to many of the people in the fandom take it WAY to seriously. When I heard it called a “movement” is when I figured some of them needed to find another hobby.

As for the scope, there are external adjustable scopes that would have looked better.
but they are $$$

Scott Tuttle

I try to have a movement about once a day

Phillip Cooper

They had one all over this rifle.

YS

Do the gears actually do something, or is it just for show? It bothers me when there are purely cosmetic use of otherwise functional feature (like fake hood scoops on a car).

ozzallos .

That is completely awesome.

TJbrena

When are we going to get cyberpunk ARs? I probably wouldn’t throw up at the sight of those.

Bob

Kind of neat, but I think a Lee Enfield sort of bolt gun would be more Steam Punkish. Yeah no, not gonna waste my time doing perverted things to mine though.

Nashvone

Grab a Mosin. No one will complain and you’ll only be out a few hundred bucks.

Dan

Oh god, deface a mosin and you’ll suddenly find yourself in the middle of a million mosin man march all calling for your head.

Bob

I was thinking of avoiding actual damage to the rifle, but still don’t feel like making a whole new stock with brass bits and a compass in the butt. I.E. It would be more subtle then this AR, and overall functional still, without gears for gears sake.

Lee Attiny

It might have been cool if the gears were actually a functioning component in the rifle. They’re apparently purely for cosmetics and therefore I hate this gun.

Phillip Cooper

Meh. When I see “Steampunk”, it’s without exception “10 pounds of crap that serves absolutely no function whatsoever”

Cymond

My wife.
She’s currently working to imbed the wings with spinning gears. The trouble is getting them mounted on stable axles so that they mesh consistently. Plus it’s just a lot of work and she doesn’t have much free time to work on them.
She’s also weaving some custom brass chainmail jewelry.

Phillip Cooper

With respect-

You’re a lucky man, sir!

wetcorps

That interupted cog above the trigger tingles my autism. This is really symptomatic of the “just throw some brass cogs on it and call it speampunk” mentality.
It’s sad because there is a wonderful potential for creativity in the steampunk genre, and people tend to waste it by sticking to clichés with no thinking behind (this happens in every genre but it’s especially obvious in steamunk creations for some reason).
I’m not asking for actual steam-and-cogs powered stuff, but at least try to make it coherent and believable.

Anon

Just glue some gears on it and call it steampunk, that’s the trendy fashion nowaday.

marathag

proper steampunk is the bits actually doing the function, and not just there as Greeble

jerry young

I like the overall finish but not to keen on the exposed trigger mechanism, it seems dirt and debris could get in and cause a malfunction, cutting out areas of the mag well for looks might make for a cool looking gun and cut some weight I’ve never thought of the AR as a gun that’s too heavy and needed lightened up, but the overall looks for show I do like.

BrandonAKsALot

I’m not sure how anyone paints anything with Krylon and gets it to stick. I’ve spray painted a lot for years now and Krylon has the worst adhesion of anything I’ve used. That and VHT. No matter how much prep and degreasing, it never stays.

Mark Spreadborough

Some of you guys remind me a lot of the two crotchety guys on the balcony on ‘The Muppets.’ And… I like ya for it.